Continuous machine for making paper, artificial leather, and the like



C. CARCANO Jan.- 5, 1932.

CONTINUOUS MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, AND THE LIKE VFilecI July 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 w OWW m N V E m M VC 0 m n A A CI W. M T wY B C C. GARCZANO Jan 5, 1$325 CONTINUOUS MACHINE FOR MAKINGPAPER, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, 'AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed July23, 1929 on on so 1 noon aoaooonoooaocoeou uolocoboooooolaoa INVENTORCRLSTOFORO CA RCA N O- ATTORNEY5 Patented Jan. 5, 1932 unrrsnSTATES-PATENT OFFICE carsrorono caacmo, or .mrrsmoo; rranv eonrmuonsmomma: r02. IAKING runs, Arms-roux. LEATHER, m m an Application flledJ'uly 23, 1929, Serial No. 880,818, and in Italy June 18, 1 829 Thepresent invention relates to dehydration machines used in themanufacture of special papers and webs, including artificial leather,and particularly to machines of the continuous type for successfullytreating pulp which is hard to drain by virtue of its great thicknessand density. I

The main object of my invention is to provide a machine of the characterindicated with a novel and efiicient support for the ulp band thereof,whereby to permit a considtrable acceleration in the operation of saidma chine, with a resulting increased output.

Another object is to reduce wear and strain upon the pulp band of themachine in order to efl'ect economy in operation which is reflected in acheapened product, and a greater range of output as well.

Other objects and the various advantageous features of my invention willappear more fully in detail as the ecification proceeds.

In the accomp'anymg drawings forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical side elevation of a machine made according tomy invention and embodying the novel and useful features thereof in apractical form.

Fig. 2 shows a portion of the same machine as seen from above. Fig. 3 isa section of the machine on line AB of Fig 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of some of theperforated plates of which thepulp band support is chiefly composed. s Throughout the views, the .samereference characters indicate the same or like parts.

In the manufacture of paper and certain webs from a pulp hard to bedrained and more articularly in the manufacture of artificial iieatherit is not practicable to remove the water from the pulp band byaspiration inordinary continuous machines, because the endless wirecarrying the pulp is liable to become wedged in its travel which mayvery likely result in rupture of the ulp band. 7

In such a machine of the continuous type the pulp to be dried is spreadon a wirecloth and travels over a suction chamber provided with rollerssupporting and driving the wirecloth. Such a machine, however, shows the'to form an endless chain woun inconvenience that the wirecloth, underthe act-ion of a strong suction such as is required to secure agooddehydration sags between one roller and the next and undergoes astro bending at its edges, whereby air gets in an as destroys thesuction; besides, a dame of the wirecloth is likely to result, the wirecoth thus becoming inservioeable after a short time.

The present improvement is proposed with so the thought in mind ofeliminating the mentioned troubles from continuous dehydration machinesso as to make it possible to economically and rapidly drain heavy andotherwise difiicultly drained pulp such as is used for 66 artificialleathers and special papers as already indicated in part. v

The improvement essentially conslsts' in forming t e plane of thecontinuous machine with suction chambers containing rollers on 70 whicha covering plane is made to slide. This covering plane is built up ofrforated plates hinge-connected to one anot er and forming an endlesschain driven by polygonal drums. On said perforated plates travels thewiw cloth carrying the pulp to be dried, so that the pulp travels overthe suction chambers and is subjected to a continuous suckin action fromthe latter without the wirec oth being subjected to friction, pulls orharmful 0 bending as is the case with the systems heretofore m use.

Referring new again to the drawings 1 is the machine frame; 2 and 3 aretwo poly onal drums arranged at the two ends of t e machine and adaptedto be revolved about their axes 2' and 8' by means of any convenientdrive; 4 refers to the rforated plates, all of which are alike aninterconnected or linked by means of bin es 4' so as about the drums 2and 3, the side faces of which engage the said plates so as to drive the.chain.

The suction boxes 5, similar in princi Is to those commonly used inmachines of is class, here constitute the whole or a portion of themachine plane. In these boxes are mounted the support rollers 6 drivenin any convenient manner and connected to the main driving shaft of themachine. Exterior auxiliary rollers noted 7 on which the perforatedplates are supported in their travel through the first section of themachine in which, as a rule, no suction boxes are present. In the bottomstretch of the band formed by the perforated plates 4, this band issupported on rollers 8 mounted in the bottom portion of the machine.

The wirecloth 9 normally runs on driving and supporting rollers 10 and11, and is not necessarily different from the wirecloth used in similarmachines. The top stretch of the endless band formed by the wireclothextends over the perforated plates 4; it covers them throu hout and itsside edges project past the said plates and, when travelling, aresupported by and slide on the edges of the suctionboxes.

The edges of the suction boxes- Kre provided with water seal chambers 12having top windows 13 through which the water maintains the wireclothedges moist in order to secure a tight joint, as used in the othermachines already known.

Actual tightness of the joint is obtained with the assistance of twoindi'a rubber ribbons 14 as in other similar machines, these ribbonspressing down the edges of the wire.- cloth and simultaneously closingthe windows 13 of the waterseal 12.

On the partition walls 15 of the suction boxes 5, crosswater sealchambers 16 are formed, these chambers being provided with top windows17 flush with the top surface of the perforated plates 4. Y

The operation of the machine is as follows:

The perforated plates 4, hinge-connected or linked to one another toform an endless chain, are driven by the drums 2 and 3 and travel on therollers 6 in the direction of the arrow X at a variable speed accordingto the length of the suction boxes and the quality and thickness of thepulp sheet to be dehydrated. On the said plates, the pulp-carryingwirecloth is spread out, and the side edges of the wirecloth are ti htlypressed against the corresponding sliding-surfaces by means of endlessresilient caoutchouc bands 14. The water begins to run oil the pulpsheet in the first portion of the machine and falls through thewirecloth 9, plates 4 and rollers 7 then, as the pul sheet passes overthe suction boxes, it is gr ually dehydrated by atmospheric pressureacross the meshes of the wirecloth 9 and the holes of the plates 4, thewater trickling down past the rollers 6 and falling into the underlyingreservoirs or troughs. v

On reaching the drum 3, the plates 4.and the wirecloth 9 separate, thewirecloth 9 with the dehydrated pulp thereon setting forth on its travelto the further machines where the pulp sheet undergoes the usualsuccessive treatments by the means and the processes already known.

Of course the constructive and form details may vary in practice withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Havin now particularly described and ascertaine the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. In a continuous dehydrating machine of the characterdescribed, the combination, with a suction chamber, a continuous filtercloth passing over said suction chamber and rolls arranged within saidchamber for supporting said filter cloth, of an endless chain of linkedand individually perforate rigid plates, which has onebranch thereofinterposed between said rolls and said'filter cloth, for the purpose ofsupporting said filter cloth upon said suction chamber under relativelygreat load and atmospheric pressure.

2. In a continuous dehydrating machine of the character described, thecombination,

with a. suction chamber provided with rolls.

therein and an endless filter cloth passing over said suction chamberand' supported upon said rolls, of an endless chain including a seriesof linkedperforate plates of rigid construction and having one branchthereof interposed between said filter cloth and said supporting rolls,and a pair of corresponding rotary polygonal drums for driving saidchain, the faces of said drums being coextensive with individual platesof said chain so as to accurately register therewith and form positivedriving means for the chain as a whole.

3. In a continuous dehydrating machine of the character described, thecombination, with a suction chamber provided with rolls therein and anendless filter cloth passing over said suction chamber and supportedupon said rolls, of hydraulic closure means bounding saidsuction-chamber and opening to the upper portion thereof to be efiectivebeneath said filter. cloth as a seal between said cloth and saidchamber, and relatively rigid means for supporting said filter clothunder great load and pressure including a series of-linked perforateplates forming an endless chain having one branch thereof-interposedbetween said filter cloth and said rolls.

4. In a continuous dehydrating machine of the character described, thecombination, with a suction chamber provided with rolls therein and anendles filter cloth passing over said suction chamber and supported uponsaid rolls, of an endless chain including a, series of linked perforateplates of rigid construction and having one branch thereof interposedbetween said filter cloth and said supporting rolls, a series ofperforate plates linked to form a chain, one branch of which isinterposed between said rolls and great load and pressure, and movableresilient pressure bands arranged upon the edges of said filter cloth soas to move therewlth and exert sealing pressure upon ,said cloth andsupporting chain over portions of said hydraulic closure means.

5. In a continuous dehydrating machine of the character described, thecombination, with a plurality of suction chambers having supportingrolls disposed therein, of an endless movable filter eloth arranged oversaid suction chambers and completely covering the upper portionsthereof, a series of perforate plates linked together to form a chainfor supporting said filter cloth and having one portion thereofinterposed between said filter cloth and said rolls, a plurality ofhydraulic sealing chambers arranged later ally and transversely aboutsaid suction chambers and opening to the upper portions thereof beneathsaid filter cloth and chain, and resilient movable means arranged overthe lateral edges of said filter cloth and supporting chain as well asover the lateral hydraulic sealing chambers in order to cooperatetherewith and seal the edges of said cloth and chain upon said suctionchambers.

Signed at Milan (Italy), this 5th day 03' July, 1929.

CRISTOFORO CARCANO.

